To find it awkward explaining my job?

[Bluebluesea321]

Does anyone else find it awkward/tiring trying to explain their job to people e.g. when being asked in a social setting? Unless you’re a vocation like doctor, teacher, accountant etc it just feels quite difficult without either sounding boring or show-offy! I work in a senior role in financial services and although it’s a very good job I have people asking what I do!

@EvilHerbivore - Nice! but frustrating.

Meanwhile, i am a student and SAHM. Which is pretty easy to explain...

the best way is to ask your 4 or 5 years old child to describe your job, and stick to that forever. Works a treat. Bonus point if they have a drawing to illustrate.

Borrow a nephew or neighbour if you haven't got your own child.

Try selling septic tanks for a living 😬

@travis1 - I used to work for a firm that sold oil storage tanks - I feel the glamour!

@starzig how awful

londonloves no one likes philosophers! We are extremely annoying at parties, we just show people that they are wrong which just pisses them off!

SignOnTheWindow yes you are right, academia has only gone downhill since the 90s. It’s very depressing. I left 9 years ago to be SAHP but I am still ‘research active’ (= I publish in my own time) because I am trying to get back into it. I work on moral philosophy on Aristotle’s theory of the virtues, so on the kinds of character traits one needs to lead a flourishing life,. I also work on medical ethics, risk and education. Thanks for asking!

the best way is to ask your 4 or 5 years old child to describe your job, and stick to that forever. Works a treat. Bonus point if they have a drawing to illustrate.
I woud not want that burden on my child.
My sister does not know what I really do. There are a ot of bigots around and I wouldn't want my 4 year old in a position trying to defend me. It woud be unfair.

I give a very general answer. "I work for a X company', and only elaborate if they demand it ie 'At head office in the X department'. Most people are happy with a vague answer because they don't really care what you do.

Yes and no. Everyone has heard of librarians - but hardly anyone knows what we actually do. Clue - it's not saying shhhh.

@that25cUKHeatwaveof2019 That’s a great idea!!!

My job is in the public sector and what people don't understand is why I don't do the same job in industry (private sector) for almost double the money.

It's actually about more than the money, it's about the flexibility, the benefits and most impoy the job is really interesting whispers and would undoubtedly become target and profit driven if I moved to the private sector.

People don't understand that though, can't get their head around the money

Most importantly*

@origamiunicorn I work in the public sector too, for exactly those reasons.

I am an actuary, but often say I am an accountant, because (especially with my accent) people assume I mispronounced "actress".

I’m a solicitor and still find this awkward because as soon as anyone knows that’s your job you get long winded descriptions of their boundary dispute with their neighbour or asked if they have a valid compensation claim from someone driving into the back of them three years ago.

I'm a Behaviour Mentor and I get asked to explain what I do nearly all the time.

Yes I find it really awkward too. I'm a hospital pharmacist and work only in critical care wards. The colleagues from all disciplines I work with know what my day to day job involves but when I tell people outside work they think I spend all day counting tablets. I rarely see a tablet in my job....

I love hearing about other jobs. I am a teacher. I come from a family of teachers. All my friends are teachers. It’s nice to hear about other jobs and I often wish I had a more exciting job.

I'm a social media auditor. No one gets that, so I just tell them I'm a legalised online stalker.

I tell people where i work rather than what i do.

I used to do this - I worked for a public sector organisation quite well known locally - but then I remember one person asking “and what do you do there?”. When I said “admin” they’d ask “what do you administrate?”.

I work in an IT function of a financial company - so I don't do either 'true' financial or IT work.

I try to change the subject if asked - or say I work in an office. I never want to talk about work

@starzig well I wouldn't give you the time of day.

Chortling at pretending to be a penguin keeper!

A friend of my brother's is a published author and writes a column for one of the national newspapers. He used to claim - in quite astonishing detail - to be a door-to-door fishmonger. This included every type of fish he sold down to the colour and logo design of his van!

I have this issue although my job sounds straightforward. I'm a food and travel writer so I get a lot of "oooh, so you just stay in hotels and write about it". There is a lot more to it than that and it's definitely not easy as it sounds.

Oh @Fudgenugget I have so much sympathy! I have family on the railway. People love to tell me how much they’re getting paid to mess everything up/sit around/give terrible customer service etc whenever they’ve found out. Meanwhile there’s actually quite a lot of internal issues, mistreatment, stress, leading to lack of trust with management, pay is not rising, many people working really hard and actually do care about customers... I think it’s a good example of why some industries, rail being a noticeable one, have such big trade unions!